When I was very young, my great-grandmother had great hopes for me. She dearly wanted a granddaughter who embodied all the finest qualities of a true southern belle. Unfortunately, she got me instead. She tried to teach me to cook. It did not work. I am immensely talented only in the field of creations that terrify and torment the taste buds. After my third, or possibly forth, time accidentally setting the stove aflame, she decided it was probably best for everyone involved if I was assigned tasks outside.
It became my job to help pick the tomatoes, shuck the corn, or shell the peas. I wish I knew how much time I spent on her patio banished from the kitchen with a bucket of peas to shell and cursing the heat. There was one time I was allowed to return, however. When Grandma made her homemade chicken and dumplings it was quite a production. Everybody was going to want some and she didn't do anything by halves. Every meal was made from scratch in her kitchen and that included the dumplings. The dumplings were the only thing I was ever allowed to help with again and I thought it was a treat at the time. (Now I realize how much work I was saving my grandmother)
When it was time to flatten the dough, Grandma would pour out flour on top of her huge counter top, plop down a big dough ball, and hand me her old wooden rolling pin and let me go to town. This was also the only times I can remember where I was allowed to make a mess in her house. Thanksgiving was not about turkey in our family. It was all about Grandma's chicken and dumpling and her coconut cake. I don't even eat chicken and dumplings anymore because I'm always disappointed that they don't taste like my childhood. I wish I could say that I still had Grandma's recipes, but most were lost in a house fire. I have included a recipe that seems very similar to what I remember.
It became my job to help pick the tomatoes, shuck the corn, or shell the peas. I wish I knew how much time I spent on her patio banished from the kitchen with a bucket of peas to shell and cursing the heat. There was one time I was allowed to return, however. When Grandma made her homemade chicken and dumplings it was quite a production. Everybody was going to want some and she didn't do anything by halves. Every meal was made from scratch in her kitchen and that included the dumplings. The dumplings were the only thing I was ever allowed to help with again and I thought it was a treat at the time. (Now I realize how much work I was saving my grandmother)
When it was time to flatten the dough, Grandma would pour out flour on top of her huge counter top, plop down a big dough ball, and hand me her old wooden rolling pin and let me go to town. This was also the only times I can remember where I was allowed to make a mess in her house. Thanksgiving was not about turkey in our family. It was all about Grandma's chicken and dumpling and her coconut cake. I don't even eat chicken and dumplings anymore because I'm always disappointed that they don't taste like my childhood. I wish I could say that I still had Grandma's recipes, but most were lost in a house fire. I have included a recipe that seems very similar to what I remember.
CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS
Ingredients: Chicken Broth
2 1/2 - 3lbs of Chicken
1 Teaspoon of Butter
Water
Dumplings: 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
5 Tablespoons of Butter
1 Large Egg
1/2 Cup of Whole Milk
Cookware and Utensils :
1 Measuring Cup
1 Heavy Bottom Pot
1 Stand Mixer or Mixing Bowl with Hand Blender
1 Rolling Pin
1 Stirring Spoon
Recipe Instructions: Place the chicken into a large boiling pot. Add chicken broth and water. Make sure the chicken is covered with water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmering. Throughout cooking skim away any foam that forms in your pot. Simmer for 11/2 hours until chicken is done and tender. Remove chicken from the broth and allow to cool.
Debone the chicken once it is cool enough to handle. While deboning the chicken discard the undesirable parts. Cut deboned chicken into bite sized pieces. Now it is time to prepare your dumplings. Preparing the dumplings is easy. Mix your flour,salt,egg,butter, andmilk in a stand mixer. If you don't have a stand mixer, a mixing bowl and hand mixer will do the job. Continue to mix until a ball forms. Form your dumplings by rolling out the dough to about 1/8 inch on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut your dough into bite size pieces. If you feel creative try cutting out small circles, squares or diamond patterns.
Bring the chicken broth to a boil. Drop dumplings into boiling broth, ensuring that they submerge. Add all of your dumplings to the broth. You can keep dumplings from sticking together by adding butter and dunk dumplings one final time. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Add chicken and simmer until chicken is heated. Your dumplings are now ready to serve.
Preparation Time = 20 minutes
Cooking Time = 2 hours
Ingredients: Chicken Broth
2 1/2 - 3lbs of Chicken
1 Teaspoon of Butter
Water
Dumplings: 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
5 Tablespoons of Butter
1 Large Egg
1/2 Cup of Whole Milk
Cookware and Utensils :
1 Measuring Cup
1 Heavy Bottom Pot
1 Stand Mixer or Mixing Bowl with Hand Blender
1 Rolling Pin
1 Stirring Spoon
Recipe Instructions: Place the chicken into a large boiling pot. Add chicken broth and water. Make sure the chicken is covered with water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmering. Throughout cooking skim away any foam that forms in your pot. Simmer for 11/2 hours until chicken is done and tender. Remove chicken from the broth and allow to cool.
Debone the chicken once it is cool enough to handle. While deboning the chicken discard the undesirable parts. Cut deboned chicken into bite sized pieces. Now it is time to prepare your dumplings. Preparing the dumplings is easy. Mix your flour,salt,egg,butter, andmilk in a stand mixer. If you don't have a stand mixer, a mixing bowl and hand mixer will do the job. Continue to mix until a ball forms. Form your dumplings by rolling out the dough to about 1/8 inch on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut your dough into bite size pieces. If you feel creative try cutting out small circles, squares or diamond patterns.
Bring the chicken broth to a boil. Drop dumplings into boiling broth, ensuring that they submerge. Add all of your dumplings to the broth. You can keep dumplings from sticking together by adding butter and dunk dumplings one final time. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Add chicken and simmer until chicken is heated. Your dumplings are now ready to serve.
Preparation Time = 20 minutes
Cooking Time = 2 hours